


The Rise and Fall of Guilt

by puppyfacedbrokenboys



Category: Red Band Society
Genre: Alternate Canon, Apologies, Boys Kissing, Guilt, M/M, forget love triangles man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-22
Updated: 2014-11-22
Packaged: 2018-02-26 13:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2653451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppyfacedbrokenboys/pseuds/puppyfacedbrokenboys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tag to 1x06. Alternate ending where Jordi goes to talk to Leo after their fight instead of Emma. [Aka an attempt at a canon fix for Leordi shippers].</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rise and Fall of Guilt

Jordi couldn’t believe what came over him. He paced the hall outside of his and Leo’s room, running his hands through his hair and taking deep breaths.

This whole fight was ridiculous, and he couldn’t believe he had lost his cool. He couldn’t believe he had punched Leo. He couldn't believe—

"I called him a _gimp_ ," he grumbled to himself, pausing in his pacing to slide down the wall. A hollow thump sounded as he threw his head back, slamming it against the wall as he groaned. The guilt crashed over him and his hands found their way to his hair again, gripping and pulling at his long locks.

Out of the corner of his eye was a flash of red. He pulled his arm away from his head and saw the piece of red on his arm. The red band. The  _red band_  Leo had given him on the roof.

A new wave of guilt washed over Jordi and he bit back the urge to gag; his fingers gripped the red plastic for a moment before he was surging up on his own two legs, and he was rushing towards what had become the most stable home of his during the past week - the room he shared with Leo.

Had it really only been a week?

When Jordi came into the room, he paused at the sight of Leo sitting on his bed, a mini ice pack pressed to his eye where Jordi had punched him. The skin was an ugly red from what Jordi could see, and he knew that it would be an ugly purplish-blue in no time.

"I’m sorry," he blurted, startling not only Leo but himself. His voice was raw guilt scraping from his throat and he had to swallow to get air past the lump in his throat.

Leo only stared at him, but lowered the ice pack. Jordi wanted to look away. He was right, a bruise was beginning to form. But that bruise would fade, and it was nothing compared to the bruise to Leo’s ego, the cut to their shaky foundation of  _trust_  that Jordi had caused with his words. Jordi could see it in the hard look in Leo’s eyes and the set to his mouth; the silence - that was even worse.

Jordi wished the floor would open and swallow him whole. His knees felt weak and he stumbled a little, finally sitting on the edge of the couch that they had been debating whether to move, but now he was grateful they hadn’t. When his butt hit the arm of the couch, he spoke again. “I am so, so sorry, Leo,” he said, so raw, vulnerable, sincere. “That was a low fucking blow, dude. You know, I—” Jordi was floundering now, trying to find the right words but coming up empty. He charged on anyway. “It was all bullshit. It still is. It’s bullshit and stupid, I don’t even know how we got here. I never wanted to hurt you, Leo. And I never wanted to break your trust.”

Leo was silent. Still. It worried Jordi because Leo almost always had  _something_ to say. But he trudged on, rambling but finding momentum, and hoped through the jumble of words he could get his point out. “I was jealous. I was so jealous and you - you don’t get it, man. I never wanted Emma.”

And here, Leo decided to break his silence. “Sure didn’t look like it on the roof.”

Jordi laughed then - this broken laugh that stemmed from the swirl of emotions going through him, and relief. Relief that Leo was talking to him. Of course, it was one sentence, but that was something. And laughter because this was just so ridiculous now.

"I never liked  _her_ , you idiot. I told you I wouldn’t do anything. And I didn’t, except on the roof - I grabbed her hand, yeah. But not for her.”

"Then for what, then. Huh? Please enlighten me because you guys have been pretty chummy." Leo’s voice was cold, sharp, but it also wasn’t as intense at it had been seconds before.

"I did it, you idiot, because I knew it would get to you. And I was right, but this isn’t how I wanted it to go. And now I went and screwed shit up by letting my anger get the best of me and you don’t deserve that. Leo, I may have got to keep my leg, but I know how it felt to be on the brink of losing it. And I was mad at you - so I lashed out in the worst way possible to get to you and I am so freaking sorry. You don’t have to forgive me, but please believe me."

Leo was silent for what felt like an eternity to Jordi, moving only to place the ice back on his eye. Jordi held his breath, waiting for what, he didn’t know. Just some type of reaction, he guessed.

Finally, Leo sighed, shaking his head a little. “Okay, but it doesn’t make sense. Why did you want to get to me if you don’t want Emma? I thought we were friends—”

Jordi nodded, cutting him off. “We are. I mean, we  _were_. I mean I hope we still are.” He groaned, frustrated that his words were jumbling together, but when he looked back up at Leo he decided:  _fuck it_. “I like you, man.  _Like_ -like you. I wanted to make you jealous because I want  _you_ —”

"Not Emma," Leo finished, catching on. Jordi could see the realization wash over him, and Jordi decided to just keep talking before Leo could object. Now that Leo was talking again, Jordi wanted the silence. Funny how those things worked.

"I don’t want this to be awkward or anything. I don’t want you to feel obligated to—"

A pair of dry, chapped lips pressed against his own, and Jordi let a muffled sound of surprise escape him before he stilled, closing his eyes as he pressed forward to meet Leo. He tilted his head just enough to slot their lips together better, which ended up with Leo’s lips sandwiching his bottom lip. It was sweet, and magic, and there wasn’t any fireworks, but Jordi could feel a slow wave of sparks shoot through his body, leaving him tingly from the tips of his ears to his toes.

Leo pulled back when oxygen became a need, and they broke apart with a gasp. Jordi sat there for a moment, mouth open and eyes closed as he let what just happened register in his brain. He was having trouble believing it.

"Jordi." Leo’s voice was soft, wrapped in a layer of cotton as it sliced through the sound of Jordi’s pulse rushing in his ears.

"Leo?" Jordi replied, just as soft. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with the soft smile of Leo Roth looking back at him. "What was—"

"Just think of it as me believing you; maybe forgiving you. No, I will definitely forgive you if we keep doing that, but… I’m still mad at you for what you said. I thought that out of anyone,  _you_ wouldn’t ever have pulled that card on me.”

Jordi’s hand nervously ran through his hair again, his feet shifting. “I-I tend to say things I don’t mean when I get mad. I know it’s not an excuse, but… I really am sorry, Leo.”

Leo grinned at him, reached out and patted his knee - the right one - and his touch lingered. “I guess I can forgive you, Moldi.” Jordi couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at the nickname. “You know what they say: all is fair in love and war.” Leo smirked at that and Jordi rolled his eyes.

"Don’t push it, or I’ll take it back," Jordi playfully threatened, feeling a faint blush spreading across his tan skin.

"God, please don’t." Leo shook his head. "You like me. You admitted it and can never take it back," he teased and laughed when Jordi shot forward and tackled him to the bed.

They both paused, a laughing Jordi hovering over an equally amused Leo, looking into each other’s eyes before they were kissing again, this time a little longer and deeper, but still slow and nervous - testing the waters.

When they pulled away, Leo nipped at Jordi’s bottom lip teasingly as he said, “For the record, the liking is completely mutual.”

And those words made almost all of Jordi’s guilt melt away as he leaned in for another kiss.


End file.
